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David Bowie Quotes
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David Robert Jones , known professionally as David Bowie , was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Born in Brixton, South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity" became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterised as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth, directed by Nicolas Roeg, and released Station to Station. The following year, he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low , the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" and Lodger followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise.

After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its parent album Scary Monsters , and "Under Pressure", a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance; the album's title track topped both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence , Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth , Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ , and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige , among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer at his home in New York City, two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar . Wikipedia  

✵ 8. January 1947 – 10. January 2016   •   Other names Bowie
David Bowie photo
David Bowie: 105   quotes 56   likes

David Bowie Quotes

“I suppose I’ve been knocking on heaven’s door for about 11 years now, with one sort of high or another. The only kinds of drugs I use, though, are ones that keep me working for longer periods of time. I haven’t gotten involved in anything heavy since ’68. I had a silly flirtation with smack then, but it was only for the mystery and enigma of trying it. I never really enjoyed it at all. I like fast drugs. I’ve said that many times. I hate falling out, where I can’t stand up and stuff. It seems like such a waste of time. I hate downs and slow drugs like grass. I hate sleep. I would much prefer staying up, just working, all the time. It makes me so mad that we can’t do anything about sleep or the common cold.”

David Bowie

As quoted in this interview http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/david-bowie-playboy-magazine/ in Playboy magazine (September 1976)

Hate , Sleep , Grass , Time

“This way or no way
You know, I’ll be free
Just like that bluebird
Now ain’t that just like me”

David Bowie

"Lazarus"
Song lyrics, Blackstar (2016)

Way

“You're such a wonderful person
But you got problems oh-oh-oh-oh
I'll never touch you.”

David Bowie

Breaking Glass, written with Dennis Davis and George Murray
Song lyrics, Low (1977)

Problem , Personality

“Fame, (fame) makes a man take things over
Fame, (fame) lets him loose, hard to swallow
Fame, (fame) puts you there where things are hollow
Fame (fame)Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame
That burns your change to keep you insane”

David Bowie

sane
Fame, written with Carlos Alomar and John Lennon
Song lyrics, Young Americans (1975)

Change

“Oh don't lean on me man, cause you can't afford the ticket
Back from Suffragette City
Oh don't lean on me man
'Cause you ain't got time to check it
You know my Suffragette City
Is outta sight…she's all right …Ah wham, bam, thank you ma'am!”

David Bowie

Suffragette City
Song lyrics, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

Time

“Live to your rebirth and do what you will
(Oh by jingo)
Forget all I've said, please bear me no ill.”

David Bowie

After All
Song lyrics, The Man Who Sold the World (1970)

Forgetting

“In the villa of Ormen, in the villa of Ormen
Stands a solitary candle, ah-ah, ah-ah
In the centre of it all, in the centre of it all
Your eyes”

David Bowie

"Blackstar" · Video at YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kszLwBaC4Sw
Song lyrics, Blackstar (2016)

“We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone, a long long time ago.”

David Bowie

The Man Who Sold the World
Song lyrics, The Man Who Sold the World (1970)

Time

“There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us,
But he thinks he'd blow our minds.”

David Bowie

Starman
Song lyrics, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

Thinking , Waiting

“Never gonna fall for
Modern love — walks beside me.
Modern love — walks on by.
Modern love — gets me to the church on time.
Church on time — terrifies me.
Church on time — makes me party.
Church on time — puts my trust in God and man.
God and man — no confessions.
God and man — no religion.
God and man — don't believe in modern love.”

David Bowie

Modern Love —  YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt8vhgGpKu4
Song lyrics, Let's Dance (1983)

Love , God , Religion , Time

“First they give you everything that you want
Then they take back everything that you have
They live upon their feet and they die upon their knees
They can work with satan while they dress like the saints
They know god exists for the devil told them so
They scream my name aloud down into the well below”

David Bowie

The Next Day (2013)
Song lyrics, The Next Day (2013)

God

“I get offered so many bad movies. And they're all raging queens or transvestites or Martians.”

David Bowie

1983 Comment, quoted in Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies 15th Edition (2003) by Leslie Halliwell, p. 60

Rage

“All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news.”

David Bowie

All The Young Dudes, performed by Mott the Hoople
Song lyrics

“Pushing through the market square, so many mothers sighing
News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in.
News guy wept and told us, earth was really dying
Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying.”

David Bowie

Five Years
Song lyrics, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

Guy , Lying , Cry

“Who'll love Aladdin Sane?
Battle cries and champagne just in time for sunrise.”

David Bowie

Aladdin Sane
Song lyrics, Aladdin Sane (1973)

Love , Time

“In the corner of the morning in the past
I would sit and blame the master first and last.
All the roads were straight and narrow
And the prayers were small and yellow.
And the rumour spread that I was aging fast.
Then I ran across a monster who was sleeping
By a tree.
And I looked and frowned and the monster was me.”

David Bowie

The Width of a Circle
Song lyrics, The Man Who Sold the World (1970)

Age , Sleep , Tree , Past

“Making love with his ego Ziggy sucked up into his mind
Like a leper messiah.
When the kids had killed the man I had to break up the band.”

David Bowie

Ziggy Stardust
Song lyrics, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

Love , Making love

“Saying more and feeling less
Saying no but meaning yes
This is all I ever meant
That's the message that I sent”

David Bowie

"I Can't Give Everything Away"
Song lyrics, Blackstar (2016)

Feeling

“When all the world was very young
And mountain magic heavy hung
The supermen would walk in file
Guardians of a loveless isle.”

David Bowie

The Supermen
Song lyrics, The Man Who Sold the World (1970)

World , Mountain

“And if you say run, I'll run with you
And if you say hide, we'll hide.
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two.
If you should fall
Into my arms
And tremble like a flower.”

David Bowie

Let's Dance
Song lyrics, Let's Dance (1983)

Love , Flowers , Heart

“This ain't rock'n'roll. This is genocide!”

David Bowie

Diamond Dogs
Song lyrics, Diamond Dogs (1974)

“The tragic youth was going down on me
(…)
I've been right and I've been wrong
Now I'm back where I started from
Never looked over reality's shoulder”

David Bowie

"Reality"
Song lyrics, Reality (2003)

Youth , Reality

“I, I will be king.
And you, you will be queen.
Though nothing will drive them away.
We can beat them, just for one day.
We can be heroes, just for one day.”

David Bowie

"Heroes", written with Brian Eno
Song lyrics, "Heroes" (1977)

“Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low.”

David Bowie

Ashes To Ashes
Song lyrics, Scary Monsters (1980)

Time

“I think fame itself is not a rewarding thing. The most you can say is that it gets you a seat in restaurants.”

David Bowie

Interviewed in Q magazine (April 1990)

Thinking

“Do you remember, your President Nixon?
Do you remember, the bills you have to pay?
Or even yesterday?”

David Bowie

Young Americans
Song lyrics, Young Americans (1975)

“And there's never gonna be enough money
And there's never gonna be enough drugs
And I'm never ever gonna get old
There's never gonna be enough bullets
There's never gonna be enough sex
And I'm never ever gonna get old
So I'm never ever gonna get high
And I'm never ever gonna get low
And I'm never ever gonna get old”

David Bowie

"Never Get Old"
Song lyrics, Reality (2003)

Money , Sex

“God is an American.
I'm afraid of Americans.
I'm afraid of the world.
I'm afraid I can't help it.
I'm afraid I can't”

David Bowie

I'm Afraid of Americans
Song lyrics, Earthling (1997)

God , World , Help

“Let's dance for fear your grace should fall
Let's dance for fear tonight is all”

David Bowie

Let's Dance
Song lyrics, Let's Dance (1983)

Fear , Dance

“Let's dance — put on your red shoes and dance the blues.
Let's dance — to the song they're playin' on the radio.
Let's sway — while colour lights up your face.
Let's swa —, sway through the crowd to an empty space.”

David Bowie

Let's Dance — Video at YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NelPivNLPZ8
Song lyrics, Let's Dance (1983)

Shoe , Light , Dance

“This is Major Tom to Ground Control.
I'm stepping through the door,
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way.
And the stars look very different today.For here
Am I sitting in a tin can,
Far above the world.
Planet Earth is blue,
And there's nothing I can do.”

David Bowie

Space Oddity
Song lyrics, Space Oddity (1969)

World , Way , Star

“Ziggy played guitar.”

David Bowie

Ziggy Stardust
Song lyrics, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

“Ageing is an extraordinary process... If you are pining for youth I think it produces a stereotypical old man because you only live in memory, you live in a place that doesn’t exist … I think ageing is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person that you always should have been.”

David Bowie

quoted by Aaron Hicklin in "David Bowie: An Obituary" https://www.out.com/music/2016/1/11/david-bowie-obituary

Personality , Youth , Age , Memory

“I think it's terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people's expectations. I think they generally produce their worst work when they do that.”

David Bowie
People , Thinking